Frontal cortex emesis between novels.

Tag Archives: Christ

“22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

–Galatians 5:22-23

If the fruit of the Spirit is all these things, then my day was absolutely 100% chock full of the Spirit. I don’t think I had to experience a lot of longsuffering today, but let’s just say that’s been the hallmark of my life so far.

I felt all these things today. I had opportunities to share them with others. It is fair to guess that I spent literally all day with church folk, and an acutely indefatigable poodle.

I also encountered actual fruit. We endeavored to determine if something out of someone’s back yard was an orange. It was decidedly not, as it was most definitely a lemon inside a skin that looked quite a bit like an orange. We think maybe a tangerine tree & a lemon tree nearby enjoyed untoward congress with each other.

People think the Bible is full of things you can’t do, and that’s very true. It is also full of things you must do, & things you should feel.

Following Christ means feeling a lot of things: longing to serve, perseveration over vocation, revelation, illumination, indescribable love, deep compassion for others, bursting into tears during a hymn because it’s so beautiful, & simple pleasure at ridiculous things, like helping others, or watching a laughing child run all over the place.

If you feel the fruits of the Spirit, all in one day, you’re having a pretty good day.

I’m helping a gal at church come up with a bilingual Stations program for Lent, & I happened across that one during my research. It’s done by hip Catholics. I like Busted Halo’s quick explanations of things you generally have to take months of catechism to learn. That way, I’m not just nattering on to my unchurched or evangelical friends about liturgical wonders & quirks for twelve hours, like ya do.

Not that I don’t enjoy that, but I get the distinct impression they don’t, or that they are amused for all the wrong reasons.

The Stations are moving, brutal, intense, loving, & immense in their impact. I am so excited for Lent. You know how I dig a penitential season. You can go to church almost every day, & most people don’t think you’re crazy (for once).

And you really spend a good deal of the time clearing out anything putting distance between yourself and Christ. What’s not to love?

1 John 2:15-17: Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

“What is she upset about now? Ugh–the Bible.” Yeah, I know you.

I’ve actually had some forward momentum. At least one thing in my life is working out, and that’s huge. When everything has gone meshugena, getting one vital component sorted is wonderful. Finding a place to serve is wonderful.

I also find delirious pockets of happiness and laughter mixed with serenity and understanding here and there. They are usually at church, but that’s not a bad thing at all.

I am getting really far away from having any interest in what happens day to day and more stoked about what happens from age to age. This is utterly impractical and completely unfashionable, but I find that the constants in the human experience inspire the most passion. Love, birth, loss, rebirth, connection, meaning…this is not making front page news, and that’s fine.

The front page news is so depressing and triggering for a lot of us right now that I’m about to hide in a hermitage. Thankfully, throwing myself into work has about the same effect.

Facebook is a dumpster fire of misinformation. People share whatever version of affairs affirms their beliefs. People don’t talk to each other. There is yelling and point making, but no conversation. I imagine Twitter is the same way, but I just can’t bear to look at it anymore.

“Pride in our achievements.” Likes and retweets. Clicks. A lot people pay bills this way now. Heck, clicks paid my cellular bill this month. I’m not knocking this new economy, but I am asking you to read more than headlines. Click on the info embedded in stories. Get a fuller picture.

Pray. If you don’t pray, mocking those who do is just kind of weird. It’s like hating someone for imagining a better world. Nobody wants to be the bully in the after school special…except on the Internet.

I’m going to make myself sad. Okay, here’s the deal. You comment with a happy or at least pleasant thing that’s happened to you, in the world or in spite of it. Because that’s what spiritual joy is…taking pleasure in the connection to God and others despite the general crapitude of the world.

Let’s rain down sunshine on this piece. The things of this world are meh.

For reasons I cannot imagine except I’ve been busy, I forgot to tell y’all I have new book out! Now this one has decidedly less sex & death in it than The Method, but it also has other goals. Like trying to help you feel like you have some say in what happens to you.

So if you’re feeling rubbish or frightened by things that you feel shouldn’t frighten you, Christ, Not Crisis is your jam, in paperback & Kindle.

You don’t have to believe in Jesus for it to speak to you. I just happen to do so, which has been life changing for me. For example, I can confidently say I love you even though I’ve never met you. I want you to feel joy, or at least safety.